What's wrong with my UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIM? TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE

ISSUE: I have not received anything in the mail. POSSIBLE EXPLANATION ACTION

The address we have on file for you is If you printed your claim information, incorrect. You can only fix your own review it for the correct address. address online with a PIN, but you will Contact us to fix your address. not receive a PIN if the address we have on file for you is incorrect.

You moved and changed your If you moved, make sure you contact address with us, but did not change it U.S. Postal Service to forward your with the national Change of Address. mail to your new address.

Your identity is unverified. To prevent the issue: Ensure your Your personal identity is checked with information matches exactly how it the Social Security Administration at appears in your social security the time you submit your claim. If the documents. name and date of birth you provided does not match the records that the If there is an issue: No action is Social Security Administration has on needed on your part unless a staff file for your SSN, a staff member must member contacts you. Staff will fix the verify your identity and correct our claim within a few weeks, which will records before proceeding. then trigger your mailings. Once you receive those, you can get started with biweekly claims.

Your home address matches your No action is needed on your part employer address. unless a staff member contacts you. These claims are not automatically Staff will process your claim within a processed because, in general, self- few weeks, so you receive your employed individuals are ineligible for mailings. Individuals who are unemployment compensation (UC). If unemployed as a direct result of a you are a 1099 recipient, it is likely you COVID-19 related reason and who do have no wages on file and your not qualify for regular UC may be determination will be ineligible. You will eligible for Pandemic Unemployment receive a PIN but no debit card if your Assistance. financial determination is ineligible. ISSUE: I have not received a PIN. POSSIBLE EXPLANATION ACTION

You filed an initial application for UC You will not receive a new PIN when benefits within the past 12 months reopening an existing claim. You are and are reopening an existing claim welcome to request a new PIN using as opposed to starting a new one. our online request form.

Claim Confirmation letter (which If you have not received your PIN for includes your PIN) was damaged at least 3 weeks after you opened your during mail processing. claim, you are welcome to request a new PIN using our online request form.

ISSUE: I received a PIN but not a financial determination or debit card.

POSSIBLE EXPLANATION ACTION You reported that you worked in You must file in a state where you another state or states when you worked, but file only in one state or it filed your initial claim application. causes delays. If you have only out-of- PA must request and receive your state wages, visit CareerOneStop to wages from the other state(s). select the state you should file with Depending on the response time from the drop-down list. from the other state or states, this process could take several weeks. No action is needed on your part unless a staff member contacts you. Wait 3-5 weeks for your financial determination to arrive, or longer if there are complications such as multiple filings. Your employer(s) reported wages No action is needed on your part for you under more than one unless a staff member contacts you. name, or a name that is different Wait for your financial determination from the name you provided to arrive. when you filed your claim. In this situation, wages must be manually verified by staff before a financial determination can be issued.

You said you have federal You should have entered the employer employment in your base year. PA information on your application using must request and receive your wages your SF-8 or SF-50. No action is needed from your federal employer. on your part unless a staff member Depending on the response time from contacts you. Wait for your financial the employer, this process could take determination to arrive. several weeks. You said you have active military To prevent the problem: Do not say YES service in your base year. We will use to this question in the initial claim your Member 4 DD-214 information to unless your active military service was assign wages which are in your claim’s in the last 2 years. If your service was base year (first 4 of the last 5 prior to the base year of your claim, completed calendars quarters, as of those wages are not usable and will the date you submitted the claim) and only hold up your claim. determine your weekly benefit rate. If you had active duty in the last 2 years, send your Member 4 DD-214 right away to: [email protected]

You are not a citizen but are residing Non-citizen claimants must provide here legally. We must verify your work copies of their work authorization authorization before your claim can documents, as well as a copy of the proceed. front and back of their Social Security card to the department via email to [email protected].

You had wages over $100,000 in the No action is needed on your part base year. Our 40+ year old legacy unless a staff member contacts you. system cannot store 6-figure salaries Wait for your financial determination or greater. Staff must manually divide to arrive. all your wages in half for each quarter of your base year, which still sets you at the maximum weekly benefit amount.

ISSUE: I received a financial determination but have not received a debit card. POSSIBLE EXPLANATION ACTION You had an active claim in the last 3 If your card is lost, stolen, or damaged, years. Debit cards are good for 3 years, please call US Bank Customer Service at and US Bank will recognize that and 888-233-5916 to obtain a replacement refrain from sending a new one. through their phone menu system without waiting to talk to a customer service agent. If you need to update your address with US Bank, you will need to speak to their agents.

You are not financially eligible (or not A card is not issued if you are not yet financially eligible if you have financially eligible for benefits. If you missing wages, out-of-state wages, or ever become financially eligible, a 100k wages as described, above). card is issued when your eligible financial determination is issued. ISSUE: I have not received payments. POSSIBLE EXPLANATION ACTION You have an issue on your initial claim Please review the UCP-41 for a brief which potentially affects benefits. UC description of eligibility issues. If one of law has many provisions which can these describes your situation, the affect eligibility. adjudication process must occur. An example of an initial claim “You said you did not make at least issue: six times your weekly benefit amount with your employer.”

You have an issue on your continuing Please review the UCP-41 for a brief claim which potentially affects description of eligibility issues. If one of benefits. these describes your situation, the adjudication process must occur. An example of a continued claim “You said you were not able and issue: available to work.”

Your part time earnings are too high If you are working part time, you must to be eligible for benefits. report your earnings when you file claims. If your earnings are over your combination rate (refer to your financial determination for this figure which is specifically calculated for you), then you earned too much for the week to be eligible for any benefits.

You reopened your claim which was If you have been denied in the past previously denied. and your determination indicated that you can only be eligible for benefits after you purge the denial, then you would not be receiving payments if: 1. You have not purged the denial, or 2. You have purged the denial by earnings six times your weekly benefit amount, but you have not contacted us to tell us and provide proof of earnings. As you file every 2 weeks, staff are simply cancelling your claims if you have not indicated to us that you purged your denial. The denial you originally received includes instructions for you regarding what to do when you purge your denial. You are denied benefits. You may receive multiple determinations, based on your situation. If any one of them is a denial, it overrides any approvals. You cannot be paid benefits if you are denied for any reason for a claim week. Not all denials are the same: some disqualify you from benefits completely until you purge the denial, and some are just a week-to-week denial for the duration of the reason you are denied. Your determinations explain these in detail.

Your payments are on your debit The U.S. Bank Reliacard is frequently card. sent to individuals even if direct deposit was requested because your direct deposit may not have been set up in time for your first few payment. Be sure to activate and keep the card when you receive it.

ISSUE: My financial determination says I am denied. POSSIBLE EXPLANATION ACTION You did not have enough wages or Unless there are wages missing, you are credit weeks in your base year. To denied. You may qualify for PUA. If you learn the details about being feel wages or credit weeks are missing financially eligible for UC in PA, see from the base year, you may file an our financial eligibility page. appeal and provide documentation.

You indicated you worked out of You should not appeal the original state. PA must reach out and obtain determination but wait for PA to obtain your wage information. Unfortunately, your wages and issue the correct the system cannot be prevented from financial determination. It may help, sending an incorrect determination but is not required, for you to send an when you first file. email to [email protected] to provide how many credit weeks you earned by quarter of your base year. If you opened your claim from April-June, your base year is January-December 2019. Credit weeks are weeks in which you earned a gross amount of at least $116. Each quarter can have no more than 14 credit weeks. ISSUE: My financial determination says I am denied. POSSIBLE EXPLANATION ACTION You did not have enough wages or Unless there are wages missing, you are credit weeks in your base year. To denied. You may qualify for PUA. If you learn the details about being feel wages or credit weeks are missing financially eligible for UC in PA, see from the base year, you may file an our financial eligibility page. appeal and provide documentation.

You indicated you worked out of You should not appeal the original state. PA must reach out and obtain determination but wait for PA to obtain your wage information. Unfortunately, your wages and issue the correct the system cannot be prevented from financial determination. It may help, sending an incorrect determination but is not required, for you to send an when you first file. email to [email protected] to provide how many credit weeks you earned by quarter of your base year. If you opened your claim from April-June, your base year is January-December 2019. Credit weeks are weeks in which you earned a gross amount of at least $116. Each quarter can have no more than 14 credit weeks.

ISSUE: Why did I not receive my $600? POSSIBLE EXPLANATION ACTION

Your payment was reduced to zero for Federal Pandemic Unemployment one of the following Compensation (FPUC) is only payable reasons: for claim weeks ending 4/4/20 through You served a penalty week from an 7/25/20. overpayment You didn’t receive any money for If you are not in one of the categories the week due to working or a disqualifying you from receiving pension or severance pay payment, you will receive your FPUC deduction. payment(s) approximately 1 week after you receive your regular UC payment(s). You will still receive the benefit It could take up to 10 days after you if you have your amount of weekly receive payment of regular UC benefit benefits fully deducted for: weeks. An overpayment Child Support Federal Withholding

Learn more about unemployment compensation and benefits at FOLLOW US www.uc.pa.gov